Grade line stakes



Feb. 12, 1957 G. E. LONG GRADE LINE STAKES Filed April 7, 1955 lN VENTOR. GEO/86E EnLo/ve QMQW GRADE LINE STAKES George E. Long, Seattle,Wash.

Application April 7, 1955, Serial No. 499,908

3 Claims. (Cl. 33-74) This invention relates to improvements in what aregenerally referred to as grade and line stakes and it has for itsprincipal object to provide such a stake that is equipped with meanswhereby a target, as mounted thereon, may be quickly and accuratelyadjusted to and secured at a desired point of adjustment which willindicate grade and line, or both.

More specifically stated, the principal object of the present inventionis to provide a grade and line stake that may be driven into the groundnear the location of the desired reference point, and on which stake ahorizontal arm is mounted for adjustment both vertically and radiallythereof, and in which arm the target is mounted for movement therealong;the arm and the target both being adapted to be fixed at any setposition of adjustment by the tightening of a single clamping bolt thatis applied through the arm.

Further objects, advantages and uses of the present invention reside inthe specific details of construction of the stake, the arm, and thetarget and its carrier; in the assembled relationship of these parts andin the manner or mode of use of the stake, as will hereinafter be fullydescribed.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I haveprovided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms ofwhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a grade and line stake embodying theimprovement of the present invention therein.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the stake, indicating various positions ofvertical adjustment of the arm along the stake, and different positionsof horizontal adjustment of the target along the arm.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3--3 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a somewhat enlarged vertical section taken on line 44 in Fig.3.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

El designates a round stake which may be of any suitable material, butpreferably of cold rolled steel, of substantial length, formed with aflat upper end surface 1x and having at its lower end, a flattened andsomewhat fiared head 2 of arrow head form, pointed downwardly to providefor easy driving of the stake into the ground and to prevent anyrotative movement thereof after being driven. This head 2 might beformed from the stake itself, or separately formed and then welded tothe stake end. For ordinary uses, the stake would have an over-alllength of approximately two feet, and a diameter of approximately oneinch.

Mounted on the stake for adjustment therealong is a horizontal arm 4.This arm would ordinarily be about six inches long, and cast of aluminumor other suitable material. It is formed with a somewhat enlargedhearing portion 4x at one end which has a vertical bore 5 therethroughmade to slidably contain the round stake, and permiting the arm, whenapplied to, but not clamped States v Paten ice on the stake, to be swungradially thereabout and to be adjusted vertically therealong. The arm 4,as best shown in Fig. 3, is formed substantially from end to end andvertically therethrough with a slot 6 which is of substantial width andopens at one end into the bore 5 which contains the stake, and at itsother end it is closed by the end wall 7. The opposite side rails of thearm, as produced by the longitudinal slotting thereof, and designated inFigs. 3 and 4 by reference numerals 4a and 4b, respectively, are formedalong their inner surfaces with concaved channels 8-8, as noted in Fig.4. Contained within the slot of the arm and seated at its opposite sidesin the channels 8-8, is a metal ball 9 in which a pin or target 10 isfixed to extend vertically upwardly from the slot and arm. The pin isformed at its upper end with a flat, circular shoulder 11 and this mightbe formed with an upwardly opening axial bore, as at 10x, to receive anail. The ball is slidably adjustable along the arm within the slot andit can be fixed at any position of adjustment therealong by means of aclamping bolt 12 that extends horizontally through the arm and wherebythe side rails 4a and 4b may be sprung v slightly together.

It is shown best in Figs. 1 and 2 thatthe opposite side members of thearm, near their inner ends, are longitudinally slotted as at 13 and theclamp bolt 12 extends through these slots. The bolt has a head 12h atone end and a nut 14 as in Fig. 1, or with a Wing nut 14 as in Fig. 3,threaded onto its other end. By drawing the nut down tight, the oppositeside rails of the arm, which are resiliently yieldable, may be drawn orsprung toward each other, thus to clamp the bearing portion 4x of thearm against sliding or rotating movement on the stake, and also to clampthe ball 9 against movement in the arm slot. When the nut 14 is loosenedon the bolt 12, the clamping effect of the bolt is removed and the arm 4then is freely adjustable along the stake, as also is the ball freelymovable along the arm slot. The adjustability of the ball in the armslot permits the target pin to be adjusted to a vertical position eventhough the stake be driven at an angle.

It is anticipated also that the upper end of the stake 1 instead ofhaving the fiat upper end surfaces 1x, might be shaped to accommodatemechanical stake driving means, such as air hammers.

Stakes of this kind are adapted for various uses, but especially for therunning of grade and lines for highway construction. In using thestakes, they would first be driven into the ground near the locations ofthe desired reference points, then the arms 4 would be placed thereon,each with the mounting ball 9 of its pin target 10 sufliciently free foradjustment in or along the arm slot. The fiat upper end shoulder of thepin target is then brought to the desired elevation in the verticalplane by raising or lowering the arm along the stake, and it is thenbrought to the desired location in the horizontal plane by rotation ofthe arm about the stake and movement of the target toward or from thestake in the slot 4 in the arm.

When the top of the shoulder 11 of the pin 10 has been brought to thedesired elevation, and the center of the top surface of the shoulder isat the desired position in the horizontal plane, the nut 14 is drawntight on the clamp bolt thus to secure both the adjustments of the armand the target.

Grade stakes of this kind are easy to use, satisfactory and convenientin use, and provide for the quick and accurate establishment of gradeand lines for various uses.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A grade and line stake of the character described comprising a roundstraight rod of substantial length, having a pointed and flattened lowerend portion adapting the rod to be easily driven into the ground for itsfunctional support and to prevent rotation of the driven stake, an armamounted at one end on the rod and extended radially thereof; said armbeing adapted to be adjusted along the rod and to be rotatedthe-reabout, and having a slot formed longitudinally thereof, and atarget member extended upwardly from the arm and having a mountingmember contained in the slot and adjustable therealong, and a clamp boltapplied through the arm and adapted to be tightened to clamp the arm ata set position on the rod and to secure the target in a set position ofadjustment on the arm.

2. A combination as in claim 1 wherein the said arm has a borevertically through one end that fits the rod for support of the arm, andwherein the said slot is formed through the arm in the direction of thebore and opens at one end into said bore; and wherein said clamp boltextends through the slotted portion of the arm and is operable whentightened to draw the opposite side portions of the arm together toeffect the clamping of the mounting portion of the target between themto secure the set position of adjustment of the target, and also tocause the clamping of the mounting portion of the arm against movementon the rod.

3. A grade and line stake of the character described comprising astraight, round rod of substantial length, adapted to be driven into theground and formed at its lower end with a flattened and downwardlypointed head portion to facilitate the rod being driven into the groundand to prevent its rotation after being driven, an arm of resilientmaterial mounted at one end on the rod to extend radially therefrom, andadapted to be adjusted upwardly and downwardly therealong and to beadjusted rotatably thereabout; said arm having a vertical bore throughone end, in which said rod is fitted, and formed with a longitudinalslot, substantially to its full length and vertically therethrough andopening at one end into said bore and setting off spaced, opposite sidebars to the length of the slot; said bars being formed in their insidesurfaces with coextensive concaved channels facing each other, a ballshaped target carrier contained within the arm slot and with oppositeside portions seated in the said bar channels for the adjustment of theball along the arm, a target pin mounted in said target carrier andextended radially upwardly therefrom and from the arm slot, and a clampbolt extended transversely through the bars and a nut thereon adapted todraw the bars together to clamp the arm at a set position on the rod,and to clamp the ball shaped target carrier at a set position ofadjustment in the arm slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,010,007 Adams Nov. 28, 1911 1,767,519 Duncan June 24, 1930 1,991,907Platt Feb. 19, 1935 2,071,823 Duncan Feb. 23, 1937 2,429,485 PleasantOct. 21, 1947 2,433,314 White Dec. 23, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 364,986Germany Dec. 6, 1922

